Hector Rodriguez accused of killing Winter Park High School teens

The state will rest its case Tuesday in the trial for the man accused of killing two Winter Park teens along the Cady Way Trail.

Hector Rodriguez, 32, is one of two men charged in the April 2012 slayings of 16-year-old Nicholas Presha and 18-year-old Jeremy Stewart. The other man, Jesse Davis, pleaded guilty to first-degree murder in November 2012 and was sentenced to life in prison.

Rodriguez faces life in prison in the slayings of the teens, whose bodies were found burning on the side of the popular Winter Park bike trail.

Quick Clicks

The first witness called on Monday was crime scene investigator Jennifer Welch, who took pictures and evidence from Cady Way Trail. She discussed what she found in the burn area where the teens' bodies were found on April 16.

Welch also collected DNA swabs from Davis and Rodriguez to process with evidence found in the Toyota Avalon the state says Davis and Rodriguez used in the robbery/murder.

"So as I turned, I looked in the living room. Nicholas and Jeremy were in the living room with Hector and Jesse Davis," she said, adding that the teens were tied up and naked. "Hector had gave me the gun and told me to hold it and he started going through one of the boys' clothes."

Also on Friday, Isabel Vinas, Rodriguez's girlfriend, testified she heard Rodriguez talk about the plot.

Defense attorneys haven't denied Rodriguez's role in robbing the teens. Presha and Stewart had planned to sell stolen guns, but were robbed instead, officials said.

Watch Local 6 for more on this story.

Copyright 2013 by ClickOrlando.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Comments

The views expressed are not those of clickorlando.com, WKMG or its affiliated companies. This is a community moderated forum (Please note the 'Flag' button). By posting your comments you agree to accept our Terms Of service

Today's Clickers

Snow and sub-freezing temperatures are no reason to hibernate. Adopt a new winter sport this year and to get outside for your exercise! Use our interactive calculator to figure out how much it will cost to get outfitted for these cold-weather sports.